Sugar Sand

Philipp, a closeted teacher, is dating a female colleague to keep up appearances. One night he stumbles into a gay bar and falls for a man. Transformed by this love, he is no longer afraid to face up to who he is.

Widow Clara and widower Ulf have an unusual commonality: Both mourn the loss of their spouses, but they cannot have them declared dead. Although there are no official doubts about the alleged suicide of Ulf's wife Anke or about the fatal glacier crash of Clara's husband Enno, the officer who complies with the paragraph insists on a corpse for the notarization - and that does not exist in either case. In order to at least support each other in letting go emotionally, Clara and Ulf set up an informal two-person self-help group after meeting them by chance. The self-confident perfumer and successful novelist soon awaken surprising feelings that go far beyond the usual grief work. However, the two are even more astonished to discover that their spouses seem to have certain similarities. A treacherous photo of Anke with Enno, her disappearance almost at the same time and the complicity in a fraud worth millions raise the suspicion that the departed have made off together.

Yascha Krüger is a shy forestry official who struggles with dating and tends to scare people off. While temporarily working in a forest district, he meets Mats, a photographer, and the two develop a romantic connection. At the same time, Yascha is assigned a professional task: to persuade the heirs of a recently deceased landowner to sell a private forest so it can be turned into a national park. As Yascha becomes more involved in both his work and his growing feelings for Mats, he finds himself telling lies that complicate his relationships and force him to confront what he truly wants—both personally and professionally.

Ezequiel is a martial arts master in capoeira and loves teaching. But when his boss's son becomes the new head of the school, he resigns in frustration. Without a job, he now faces a real problem, because as a dark-skinned immigrant with no education, it will be very difficult to get a job again. Out of necessity, he ends up working for small business owner Reynaldo and his colleague Jason, cleaning antique public urinals at night. Ezequiel is so ashamed of his new job that he doesn't want to tell his wife Marta or his son Stevie. Ezequiel actually wants his son to have a proper, academic education, which will open all doors for him later on. But then he reveals to his father that he would rather become a hairdresser than study.

Georg Fischer's previous life is falling apart. He has to give up his beloved mayoralty and then his marriage is also threatened. Because Georg is facing serious competition in the form of his victorious rival, who is making his wife, who has been neglected for too long, blossom with his romantic courtship.

Hamburg cab driver Axel Parschke finds himself in the Ore Mountains shortly before Christmas Eve: what begins as a lucrative job for IT analyst Jan Olsmer, who has gone blind after an accident and wants to meet his internet acquaintance Jenny Feller in the small village of Bergroda, turns into an emotional journey into a new life for the man who has been divorced for many years. With strangers who become friends along the way, such as his passenger Jan or the high school graduate Linh Ngyuen, who are picked up along the way. And then there's the car mechanic Sofia Lieberwirth, in whose workshop Axel and his cab, damaged in an accident, are involuntarily stranded. After the celebration in Mettenschicht and a Christmas Eve spent together against their will, the cards are reshuffled for everyone.

Katja emigrated from East Berlin to Bavaria. There she has found the love of her life. Now she invites her mother Rita to take a look at her future husband. During her journey from Berlin to Bavaria, Rita picks up the stranded actor Hotte.

Oskar has been working as a guardian angel for over 30 years and is increasingly weary of his task. It's a good thing he's about to retire, or rather, be sent to heaven. But due to a moment of carelessness, two of his clients die, including Mira, who is assigned to him from now on – as an angel in training. Because of his misconduct, Oskar will be denied eternal paradise.

Twelve days on foot with a donkey from Munich to Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze: father Marcel and son Felix will certainly not forget this trip. What is intended as an educational measure for the pubescent son becomes a dramatic and comical test of endurance for both of them. Not only is Felix struggling with himself and his relationship with his mostly absent father, Marcel is also facing a new phase in his life. While donkey Maria stoically sets the pace on the hike, the two stubborn characters are thrown back on themselves. In addition to the challenges of a mountain hike, father and son also meet some unusual people who reflect their own longings and fears, bringing them closer together.

Over 40 years ago, Josefa left her home village in a dispute. A lot has happened in the meantime. Now she returns as a mature woman to where she is still known as a man.

It is 1988. Jacob, from Hamburg in West Germany, falls in love with Elisabeth in East Germany. When they secretly meet in East Berlin, it seems the Stasi (secret police) knows about it. When Jacob visits her village, someone informs on him and he is deported. Elisabeth knows who begrudges her this love and takes her revenge. Critics note that in this film, director Heiner Carow revisits the themes of his 1972 smash hit, The Legend of Paul and Paula, which became a cult film throughout Germany.

In view of her success, Stella mutated into a cynical, critic-resistant alpha woman who has banished her family to a sideline. Shortly after her 60th birthday, she has an accident and can suddenly hear what those around think of her.

The only documentary ever made by DEFA on the topic of homosexuality was this public education film commissioned by the Hygiene Museum Dresden and produced in cooperation with East German gay and lesbian activists. In interviews, GDR lesbians and gay men talk openly about their first sexual experiences and coming out. Though the film tries to convey an official GDR acceptance of homosexuality, they also talk about social discrimination against openly gay individuals.